800-y-o inscription reappears on Yangtze stones

An ancient stone inscription dating back 800 years has reappeared in a section of the Yangtze River.

Every March, low seasonal water levels reveal large boulders in a section of the river in Yibin, Sichuan Province that bear the 52-character inscription. Only 49 characters are still readable.

Carved during the rule of the Southern Song Dynasty emperor Kaixi (1205-07), the inscription details an outing of a local official and a friend to the stone – a site that at the time was already significant in Chinese history, said an employee with the Yibin museum.

According to legend, the stone was where Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) politician and military strategist Zhuge Liang stopped with his horse while on an expedition through South China.

Yuan Shuyi, the ruler of Nanxi county (today’s Yibin) had visited the site with friend Jiao Changchao during a spring outing on the Yangtze River.

The giant stones, located in the center of the river, are revealed every year around March when water levels fall, the employee said.

The inscription also holds scientific value.

“While recording further evidence of the Zhuge Liang legend, the carving has also witnessed nearly a millennium of hydrological changes on the river and is a valuable resource for researchers,” said the museum employee.